Shoe cleaner



R. S. CHAPIN May 21,1968

SHOE CLEANER Filed Sept. 12, 1966 United States Patent Oflice 3,383,726 SHOE CLEANER Reynold Sayre Chapin, Mystic, Conn, assignor to Cyclo- Clean Corporation, New London, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 578,720 Claims. (Cl. 33)

This application relates to shoe sole cleaning machinery of the type in which a brush automatically moves against the shoe soles when a person steps on the machine.

An object of the invention is to provide such machinery having improved sole sweeping and cleaning action. Other objects are to provide such machinery that is not frightening or otherwise distasteful to users, is portable, reliable, easily installed and serviced, yet simple and relatively low in manufacturing cost and power requirements, and in which the brush is self cleaning.

In general the invention features a grating mounted for generally vertical movement between first and second positions, the grating being spring-biased upwardly in its first position. A brush is mounted for reciprocal horizontal movement beneath the grating parallel to the bars thereof to produce a brushing action across substantially the entire area of the grating. The bristles of the brush cover only a small fraction of the area of the grating at any given time and extend through and sufliciently above the grating to produce a bristle snapping brushing against shoe soles resting on the grating. The magnitude of movement of the brush in each direction of its reciprocal movement is substantially greater than the width of a typical shoe. Means are provided to actuate the brush in response to movement of the grating under the weight of a person. In preferred embodiments the brush is mounted for reciprocal movement across substantially the full length of the grating and return springs are mounted at opposite ends of the grating to cushion and help reverse the direction of the brush; the brush is mounted on sliders carried by rods adjacent the sides of the grating; a roller chain couples rotatable drive and idler members with an arm being connected at one end to the chain and being pivotally coupled at its other end to the brush (preferably adjacent the center line of the grating); and means are provided for returning the brush to a selected point (preferably one end of the grating) when the weight of a person is removed from the grating.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view partly cut away of the shoe cleaner of the invention, with the grating removed;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the cleaner, showing the brush in two positions as it sweeps across a pair of shoe soles;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the grating;

FIG. 4 is a partly exploded view of the brush assemy;

FIG. 5 is a schematic wiring diagram; and

FIG. 6 is an isometric View of the rocker plate and switch assembly.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, cleaner 10 has an open bottomed support housing 12 with a rectangular top opening 14. Vertical walls 16 extend downwardly from top wall 18 and terminate in horizontal flanges 20 the free edges of which define the boundaries of opening 14. Grating 80 rests on flanges 20.

Supporting angle brackets 22, 24, 26 are spaced along the bottom of housing 12. Electric motor 28 horsepower) is mounted at one corner of the cleaner on bracket 22, and belt 30 extends from motor pulley 32 3,383,726 Patented May 21, 1968 to drive pulley 34 mounted centrally at the opposite end of the cleaner on bracket 26. Drive pulley 34, drive sprocket 36 and bearing 38 are press fitted together in a single subassembly fastened to bracket 26 by screw 40. Roller chain 42 extends from sprocket 36 to idler sprocket 44 mounted on press fit bearing 46 and secured to bracket 24 by screw 48.

Brush assembly 50 includes an elongated bar 52 under the ends of which are mounted sliders 54, 56 of a suitable synthetic plastic material such as polytetrafluoroethylene. J-shaped arm 58 is pivoted to stationary arm 60 mounted at the center of bar 52. Leaf springs 62, 64 are mounted on top of bar 52. Brush carrier 66, with brush 68, is secured to bar 52 by screws 63, 65, the adjustment of which against springs 62, 64 varies the brush 'hei-ght.

Parallel slide rods 69, 71 are screw mounted at opposite sides of the cleaner and carry coil springs 70, 72, 74, 76 at their ends. Brush assembly sliders 54, 56 are slidably mounted respectively on rods 69, 71. Arm 58 fits around chain 42 and is secured thereto by chain pins 78.

Grating 80 has parallel metal bars 82 connected at their ends by end threaded rods 84, 86 and spaced apart by spacing sleeves 88. Sleeve nuts 90 hold the assembly together. Two metal pins 92, 94 extend horizontally from the spacing sleeves at one end of the grating.

Rocker plate 96 (FIGS. 2, 6) is pivotally mounted at its ends on brackets 98, 100, in turn secured to the underside of housing wall 18 above bracket 26. Wall 16 adjacent plate 96 has vertically elongated holes 102 to receive pins 92, 94 the free ends of which rest on the top edge of vertical flange 104 of plate 96. Switch actuating arm extends horizontally through hole 112 in rear vertical flange 114 of plate 96. Spring 116 is mounted on the underside of wall 18 and serves the dual purpose of biasing actuating arm 110 downwardly in its open switch position and biasing, through plate 96, grating pins 92, 94 upwardly so that the grating is spaced above flange 20 at one end when the cleaner is not in use.

Normally closed switch 118 is mounted on bracket 22 with its actuating arm 120 in the path of rubber tipped extension 122 of slider 56.

Switches 166 and 118 are Wired in parallel between plug 126 and motor 28, with resistor 124 being in series with switch 118 (FIG. 5).

In operation, when a person stands on the grating (with his shoes oriented in any direction), pins 92, 94 are forced downwardly in holes 102, pivoting plate 96 against spring 116 and closing switch 106. Motor 28 is thereby actuated and brush 68, the bristles of which protrude above grating 80 (normally /2" /4), is caused to reciprocate along the entire length of the grating. Springs 7t), 72, 74, 76 cushion the impact of the brush assembly at the ends of the housing and aid in quick reversal of direction without substantial loss of brushing power. True brushing action is achieved as the bristles pass under the shoes from one side (FIG. 2) and snap through from under the other side of the shoes. This snapping of the bristles helps to automatically clean the brush of debris removed from the shoe soles. Because the brush reciprocates along the entire length of the grating, the person can step directly on the grating bars 82 when arriving at the cleaner, rather than having to step on a brush; hence the bristles can extend sufficiently far above the grating to achieve true brushing.

When weight is removed from the grating, switch 106 opens and the brush continues to move under reduced power through resistor 124 until extension 122 reaches the end of the cleaner to open switch 118, thus stopping the brush at the end of its stroke or travel. Brush 68 consequently is always returned to the end of the grating when the cleaner stops.

The low profile of the device, i.e. the low overall height of the device (approximately two inches in the embodiment shown), makes it possible to place it on any ordinary fiat floor surface in a doorway without any installation except for connection to electric power and without obstructing egress of ingress. It is also possible to mount the device in a recess in the floor with the upper surface of the grating substantially flush with the surrounding floor.

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic shoe cleaner comprising a grating mounted for generally vertical movement between first and second positions;

a spring biasing said grating upwardly in said first position; at least one brush carrying bristles mounted for reciprocal horizontal movement beneath said grating parallel to the bars thereof to produce a sweeping action across substantially the entire area of said grating, the bristles covering only a small fraction of the area of said grating at any given time and extending through and sufficiently above said grating to produce a bristle-snapping sweeping against shoe soles on said grating, the magnitude of movement of said brush in each direction of said reciprocal movement being substantially greater than the width of a typical shoe;

means for driving said brush in said reciprocal movement, comprising a belt carried by rotatable drive and idler members, and an arm connected at one end to said belt and pivotally coupled at the other end to said brush; and

means responsive to movement of said grating under the weight of a person to actuate said driving means.

2. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein said arm is coupled to said brush adjacent the center line of said grating.

3. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein said bristles extend above said grating "-"}.1".

4. A low profile cleaner constructed according to claim 1 and having an overall height of approximately two inches.

5. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein said brush is driven by a motor having of the order of /30 horsepower.

6. An automatic shoe cleaner comprising a grating mounted to provide a support surface for the weight of a person;

at least one brush carrying bristles mounted for reciprocal horizontal movement beneath said grating parallel to the bars thereof to produce a sweeping action across substantially the entire area of said grating, the bristles covering only a small fraction of the area of said grating at any given time and extending through and sufficiently above said grating to produce a bristle-snapping sweeping against shoe soles on said grating, the magnitude of movement of said brush in each direction of said reciprocal movement being substantially greater than the width of a typical shoe;

means for driving said brush in said reciprocal movement; and

means automatically responsive to the presence of a person at said grating to actuate said driving means, maintain said reciprocal movement while the person remains at said grating, and deactuate said driving means when the person leaves said grating.

7. The cleaner of claim 6 wherein a second switch is mounted at one end of said grating in the path of said brush, said switches being wired in parallel, said second switch being normally closed except when contacted by said brush mounting.

8. The cleaner of claim 6 wherein a resistor is wired in series with said second switch.

9. The cleaner of claim 6 wherein there are means for automatically adjusting the position of said brush after a person has left said grating to a position at which said bristles no longer project through the central portion of said grating.

10. An automatic shoe cleaner comprising a grating mounted for generally vertical movement between first and second positions;

a spring biasing said grating upwardly in said first position; at least one brush carrying bristles mounted for reciprocal horizontal movement beneath said grating parallel to the bars thereof to produce a sweeping action across substantially the entire area of said grating, the bristles covering only a small fraction of the area of said grating at any given time and extending through and sufficiently above said grating to produce a bristle-snapping sweeping against shoe soles on said grating, the magnitude of movement of said brush in each direction of said reciprocal movement being substantially greater than the width of a typical shoe;

means for driving said brush in said reciprocal movement;

means responsive to movement of said grating under the weight of a person to actuate said driving means; and

a rocker member pivotally mounted at one end of said grating, a portion of said grating extending over one edge of said rocker, the other edge of said rocker being coupled to said actuating means and said spring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 732,373 6/1903 Preuss et al 15-36 823,972 6/1906 Richardson 15-36 1,335,388 3/1920 Ragina 15-36 1,567,832 12/1925 Broge 15-36 1,619,814 3/1927 Fisher 15-311 2,649,599 8/1953 Leadingham 15-311 X 2,860,366 11/1958 Kemp 15-311 3,115,653 12/1963 Fresh et al 15-311 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

R. I. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

6. AN AUTOMATIC SHOE CLEANER COMPRISING A GRATING MOUNTED TO PROVIDE A SUPPORT SURFACE FOR THE WEIGHT OF A PERSON; AT LEAST ONE BRUSH CARRYING BRISTLES MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCAL HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT BENEATH SAID GRATING PARALLEL TO THE BARS THEREOF TO PRODUCE A SWEEPING ACTION ACROSS SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE AREA OF SAID GRATING, THE BRISTLES COVERING ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF THE AREA OF SAID GRATING AT ANY GIVEN TIME AND EXTENDING THROUGH AND SUFFICIENTLY ABOVE SAID GRATING TO PRODUCE A BRISTLE-SNAPPING SWEEPING AGAINST SHOE SOLES ON SAID GRATING, THE MAGNITUDE OF MOVEMENT OF SAID BRUSH IN EACH DIRECTION OF SAID RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT BEING SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF A TYPICAL SHOE; 